December
by Queen Umbugartus
Summary: My favorite wintry picture books, rewritten with Hetalia characters. My Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Solstice/Whatever you celebrate gift to the wonderful Hetalia fandom.
1. The Biggest, Best Snowman

A/N - A classic story of the underdog, the original book has wonderful, funny illustrations. It's one of my favorite picture books ever, and I had a great time rewriting it. I apologize in advance for Scotland's jerkiness.

The Biggest, Best Snowman belongs to Margery Cuyler and Will Hillenbrand.

Hetalia - Axis Powers belongs to Himaruya Hidekaz

Little England lived with BIG Mum, BIG Ireland, and BIG Scotland in a BIG house in a BIG snowy woods.

BIG Mum, BIG Ireland, and BIG Scotland had BIG blustery voices. They had BIG talky friends. They had BIG loud parties.

When Little England asked, "Can I help?" BIG Mum, BIG Ireland, and BIG Scotland shook their heads. "No, you can't," they said. "You're too small."

"Yes, I can," said Little England, "and no, I'm not."

"No, you can't," they said, "and yes, you are!"

So Little England would go into the BIG snowy woods. He would sit and watch the snow fall from the sky. He would walk under the bare branched trees. He would play with his friends, Unicorn, Flying Mint Bunny, and Kumajiro.

One day, Kumajiro said to Little England, "Can you show us how to make a snowman?"

"No, I can't," said Little England. "I'm too small."

"Yes, you can," said the animals "and no, you're not!"

"But I'm so small," Little England said, "my family won't let me do anything. I could never make a snowman."

"How do you know unless you try?" asked Kumajiro. "We'll help you."

Little England sighed. "Well, maybe," he said.

Little England got down on his knees. He carefully patted and matted and batted the snow into a tiny ball.

He rolled it and rolled it and rolled it to Unicorn. Unicorn nudged it and nudged it and nudged it to Flying Mint Bunny.

Flying Mint Bunny kicked it and kicked it and kicked it to Kumajiro.

Kumajiro rolled it and rolled it and rolled it until it stopped - THUD - by the edge of a BIG icy pond.

"Now what?" asked Unicorn.

"The snowman needs a middle," said Little England.

"How do we do that?" asked Flying Mint Bunny.

Little England bit his lip. He got down on his knees. He carefully patted and matted and batted another tiny snowball.

He rolled it and rolled it to Unicorn. Unicorn nudged it and nudged it to Flying Mint Bunny. Flying Mint Bunny kicked it and kicked it to Kumajiro.

Kumajiro rolled it and rolled it until - THUD - it came to a stop. He pushed it on top of the other snowball. "Now what?" he asked.

"It needs a head!" cried Little England. He patted and matted and batted another tiny snowball. Then he rolled it to Unicorn. Unicorn nudged it to Flying Mint Bunny. Flying Mint Bunny kicked it to Kumajiro.

Kumajiro stuck it on top of the other two snowballs.

Little England and the animals stood back and looked at their snowman.

"Something's missing," said Flying Mint Bunny.

"The face,"said Little England.

"How do we do that?" asked the animals.

"I think we'll need help," said Little England.

He called for the fairies to come. Mote, Cobweb, and Mustardseed flew down from the trees.

"Can you make a face for our snowman?" he asked.

Mote fetched two pieces of bark for the eyes.

Cobweb found an old pink sock for the nose.

Mustardseed brought raisins for the mouth.

Little England handed his green scarf to the fairies. They wound it and wound it and wound it around the snowman's neck. Then they added two sticks for arms.

The snowman was finally finished.

Little England and the animals gazed up at their creation.

"Wow!" said the animals.

"Wow!" said Little England.

It was almost lunchtime. Little England said good-bye to his friends. He walked home through the BIG snowy woods.

BIG Mum, BIG Ireland, and BIG Scotland were waiting for him.

"Where have you been?" they asked in their BIG blustery voices.

"I was building a great big snowman," answered Little England.

"How could someone as little as you build a great BIG snowman?" asked BIG Ireland.

"Come and see," said Little England.

So BIG Mum, BIG Ireland, and BIG Scotland followed Little England through the BIG snowy woods to the snowman.

As they looked up, their mouths dropped open and their arms dropped to their sides.

"Wow!" they said. "You built that?"

"Yes, I did," said Little England, "with the help of my friends."

"That is the biggest, best snowman that ever was," said BIG Mum.

"Yes, it is," said Little England, a huge smile on his face.

"Will you come and help us make a BIG yummy lunch?" asked BIG Ireland.

"No, he can't," said BIG Scotland. "He's still too small."

"Yes, I can," said Little England, "and no, I'm not!"

"Yes, you can," said BIG Mum, "and yes, you WILL!"

BIG Mum gave Little England a BIG sloppy kiss - SMOOCH!

BIG Ireland gave Little England a BIG squeezy hug - OOCH!

BIG Scotland stuck his BIG nose in the air - HMMPH!

Little England's friends lifted him to the top if the snowman -

HOORAY!


	2. The Snow Tree

A/N - I want everyone who reads this to do themselves a favor and find a copy of the physical book. While it's technically a Christmas book, it's really more seasonal, in my opinion. The writing is lyrical. The images are not only absolutely stunning, but raised as well, making this book textile as well as visual. Please. Take a look at it.

This is absolutely not chronologically correct when it comes to the Hetalia characters.

The Snow Tree belongs to Caroline Repchuk and Josephine Martin.

Hetalia - Axis Powers belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.

Russia woke and the world was white. "Where have all the colors gone?" he cried, for he had never seen such a white and wintry world before. But the wind only answered with silence.

Then out of the snow came Spain, holding orange leaves. "For the Snow Tree," he explained. "So we will remember the warm glow of fall and the burning sunset of an evening sky."

Next came China. He carried scarlet berries and laid them softly at Russia's feet. They glistened like drops of blood against the snow. "To remind us of flowers and fruits from the forests and fields," he said.

America jumped down with blue jay feathers held tightly in his hand. "It's all I have to give,"he said. "But these feathers are as blue as the summer sky and the rolling waters of the river."

From deep inside the frozen forest Lithuania appeared. "Nature's finest," he declared, adding velvety mink fur to Russia's collection. "Brown like the rich earth beneath the snow."

Russia looked up as Canada came padding softly through the snow and spread green shoots before him. "My offering is to remind us of the green of spring, of new life after the sleep of winter."

Iceland moved slowly forward through the snow, with purple rock piled high in his arms. "Here is color that will endure forever," he said. "As purple as the mountains and the rolling clouds of thunder."

Ukraine stepped from behind a nearby tree, laden down with yellow cones. "I carried all I could," she said. "So we won't forget the yellow corn that grows all summer long in the fields beyond the forest."

Belarus brought icicles that sparkled silver in the frosty light, like raindrops in the sunlight. "It is time to decorate the Snow Tree," she said. "And you, Russia, will guard this tree all winter long."

Last of all came General Winter. A bright golden star hung gleaming at his neck. "Set this star high upon the tree," he proclaimed. "Let its light shine out to all the nations of the world, that they may gather to celebrate the glory of nature, and the beauty of piece and friendship this Christmas time."

Russia smiled as he stood gazing at the glorious tree.

The colors were back.


End file.
